AUSTRALIAN AFFAIRS

Evening Star, Issue 17953, 26 April 1922, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN AFFAIRS

Pre>B Ausocia-tiou—By Telegraph—Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Press Association, THE STEEL INDUSTRY, SYDNEY, April 24,_ Giving evidence before the Industrial Court, Mr Hoskins, of the Lithgow Iron and Stool Works, said in of an application fox a reduction of his employees’ wages by 3s weekly, that during the last six months orders for stel amounted to only 3,116 tons, and tho capacity of tho mills for that period was 26,C00 tons, Ho added that there were now only 243 men employed at the works, 645 having been put off since last year. Ho concluded by saying “To enable tho works to carry on at a profit it would bo necessary to reduce wages by 20s weekly, which should bo done gradually.” POLITICAL PARTIES IN NEW SOUTH WALES. SYDNEY, April 25. Parliament will open on Wednesday. The crisis which was impending in tho Coalition has been averted by the appointment of Mr Wearno as deputy-leader without the right of reversion to the Premiership or Acting-Premiership. Mr Levy was selected by the Coalition for nomination for the Speakership. Mr Dunn has boon elected deputy-leader of the Tabor Party. April 26. (Received April 26, at 11.40 mm.) Mr Nesbit, member for Byron, intimated to Sir George Fuller that, though ho did not intend to resign from the Coalition, he would not attend its meetings in future. CANBERRA STRIKE. MELBOURNE, April 25. Mr Foster, Minister of Works and Railways, states that tho men at Canberramust return to work before tho board which was previously promised will bo appointed. WAR SERVICE HOMES. SYDNEY, April 24. An agreement has been concluded between the Commonwealth and Western Australian Governments under which the latter agrees to build war service homes. This is the first of what is hoped to bo a chain of arrangements with all the States with the object of securing economy in tho erection of homes. UNEMPLOYMENT IN NEW SOUTH WALES. SYDNEY, April 24. The Labor Exchange’s report gives one of tho reasons for unemployment as the application of the baric wago to rural industries, causing landlords to curtail their expenditure and to dispense with a number of employees. GOOD RAIN. SYDNEY, April 25. A spell of several weeks’ fine weather has been broken, heavy showers falling in the city. There was also a fairly general rain in the Riverina, district. DRY SPELL ENDED. SYDNEY, April 25. (Received April 25, at 11,35 p.m.) The rain has extended to the far west, definitely ending the dry spell. A LIBEL ACTION. SYDNEY, April 25. A libel action has been commenced at Bathurst. Air Michael Meagher Is suing tho directors and editor of the ‘ National 'Advocate’ for £2,000 for publishing a five-column article accusing him of raving unfairly designed to secure a majority of the shares in the paper for tho purpose of depriving his fellow-shareholders of their just rights. The article declared that Mr Meagher was piqued because Mr Storey overlooked him when appointing Air J. W. Percival a member of tho Legislative Council. The case stands partly heard. APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME. SYDNEY, Anvil 25. The Board of Trade has published a report on an apprenticeship scheme, which aims at bridging tho gulf between tho ago of fourteen and manhood, virile at the same time steering dear of “dead end” occupations. The report recommends tho abolition of arbitrary rules, specifying the number of apprentices to bo allowed, the compulsory continuance of education until tho ago of eighteen, a uniform wage, bearing in mind tho cost of sustenance of an apprentice, meanwhile reducing many of tho extravagant minimum rales prescribed in industrial agreements. Provision is re-commanded for apprentices of any age. It is also suggested that tribunals should ho established whoso purpose it should be to determine the aptitude of youngsters leaving school. FIRE AT ADELAIDE. ADELAIDE, April 25. (Received April 25, at 11.35 p.m.) Fire at Melvin Chambers, in th© heart of the city, caused extensive damage to soveral of tho adjoining buildings. FORTY-FOUR-HOUR WEEK ACTING DETRIMENTALLY. SYDNEY, April 26. (Received April 26, at 10.30 a.m.) Tho operations of the forty-four-hour week are adversely affecting the silica quarries near Malton. One hundred' employees were dismissed as a consequence. The timber mills at Nowra and Bateman Bay are reducing the staffs for the same reason.